Blood Community Urges ASPR to Consider Blood Sustainability When Developing National Health Security Strategy

AABB, America’s Blood Centers (ABC) and the American Red Cross urged the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to consider the resilience of the nation’s blood supply when developing the 2023 – 2026 National Health Security Strategy (NHSS). Through the NHSS, ASPR seeks to inform the agency’s efforts to address evolving public health challenges and better prepare for future health security threats.

In a joint letter to ASPR Dawn O’Connell, AABB, ABC and ARC emphasized that obstacles jeopardizing the resilience of the nation’s blood supply are critical threats to health security, public health and medical preparedness, response, and recovery. Furthermore, the organizations emphasized that key components of health security include a regular, diverse blood donor population to ensure the continuous availability of a stable blood supply; the workforce needed to collect, process, distribute and transfuse blood; and integration of blood supply considerations into preparedness and response policies and practices. The letter then outlines the blood community’s recommendations to challenges to address blood donor engagement and retention, workforce shortages, and preparedness and response infrastructure.

Members of the blood community can read this correspondence and learn more about AABB’s efforts to strengthen the resilience of the blood supply on the Blood Sustainability web page.